July 20, 2016 Media Advisory: We are the Many Americas

We are the Many Americas:

Grassroots Leaders from across the US and Honduras launch a people’s caravan from the RNC to the DNC to pledge resistance to racism, hate and misogyny

Cleveland---On July 21 at noon, grassroots Indigenous, Latin@, Black, Asian, Muslim, and working class white organizers from across the country launched the It Takes Roots to Change the System People’s Caravan from the RNC to the DNC. Caravan participants took their own version of the pledge of allegiance, an unequivocal pledge of resistance to stand against the racism, misogyny and hateful and xenophobic policies being put forth at the Republican National Convention.

“The people gathering for the It Takes Roots People’s Caravan--Indigenous Peoples, Black organizers, Palestinian, Latino, and white working class people--represent the true faces of this country who are bringing forward a vision of justice, fairness and equality. We reject the politics of fear and exclusion we’ve seen from the RNC. It’s up to us to change the system.” - Cindy Wiesner, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance

Grassroots leaders are directly responding to rising racism and hate politics expressed in threats to wall off Mexico and to ban people of Muslim faith for entering the country, and the disrespect and hostility against the Movement for Black Lives.

“It is time to make changes in this country’s political system and only by organizing and being in the struggle can we make the changes we want. It is time to stop the violence caused by racism towards immigrants and people of color. We need to raise our voices to be heard and seen with respect and dignity.” -- Maria Morales, Mujeres Unidas y Activas.

The long-term impacts of the white rage and misogyny promoted by Trump-style politics will last for decades to come. Grassroots leaders are pledging to resist and to build community-based solutions. As participants sign a large pledge of resistance, many testified to the frontline struggles they are waging that brought them to this national mobilization.

"I joined the caravan because as grassroots communities of color I believe that we need each other in order to resist the growing tide of violence and build stronger movements together.” - Lucia Lin, Chinese Progressive Association

Convened by the Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, the caravan brings together leaders on the frontlines of some of the most cutting edge social movements within the US. The caravan will also be joined by two members from Honduras, representing Berta Cáceres’ organization COPINH (Civic Council of Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras): Berta’s daughter Laura Yolanda Zuñiga Cáceres and Rosalina Dominguez Madrid. The assassinations of Berta Cáceres and other grassroots leaders in Honduras has put a spotlight on the critical role of US military aid in Honduras, and the caravan organizers are lifting up the struggle against militarism at home and abroad.

The Caravan will go from Cleveland to Philadelphia, supporting actions and voter turnout in Ohio and building with economic and racial justice groups in Pittsburgh and Baltimore. In Philadelphia, the Caravan will support actions around immigrant detentions and deportations through the Berks Detention Center, and around challenging the toxic oil refinery expansion by Philadelphia Energy Solutions in neighborhoods of South Philadelphia.

All along the route with powerful art and visuals, It Takes Roots organizers will lift up the message that Berta Cáceres did not die when she was assassinated, she multiplied in the thousands of activists demanding justice for all communities' struggles for land, water, and human rights.